You Own My Heart
by Aria May
Summary: Zechs and Noin - My take on their story.
1. Chapter 1

**Years ago I wrote a Zechs/Noin fanfic that I was particularly proud of and after all these years I've decided to write about them again. Much of their story has been unseen and my objective is to tell their story as how I imagine it would have happened. I have been trying to find good fanfiction relating to Zechs and Noin, but there is not a lot. However, I have read some here that I have been truly inspired by and think are absolutely fabulous! But I need to get my thoughts down somehow and this is the best way for me to do so. I may allude to some translations that I have read from "Frozen Teardrop" so please be warned! I will try my best to stick to the correct timeline of events as they are dictated through the TV Series and Movie as well as any manga and novels that are out there but I can't promise they'll be 100% correct. I've tried to read or research them all but I'm sure I've missed some along the way.**

**Anyway, I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters**.

**Lake Victoria Academy: Orientation day – AC 186**

It was Zechs that noticed her first.

He had been greatly uninterested in the presentation that was going on and even less interested in who was speaking. Whoever was speaking meant to motivate and inspire the current and new cadets at the Lake Victoria Academy, but he was hardly in need of either. He had purposely lagged behind as the cadets rushed to get a good spot near the front and ended up behind the large group. He tried to quiet his mind; focusing on his own purpose for being there. But something caught his attention…

A young female cadet about the same age as him stood to his right, but it was obvious that her intention was the same as his as she stood apart from the group. He thought that maybe she also was not interested in what was being said and seemed lost in her thoughts. He noticed a quiet determination and strength within her. But his first impression of her was neither of those things. It was that he thought she was beautiful. This was a thought he had not had in a long time; not since he was much younger when he watched his mother pick flowers from their garden at the palace. It was uncommon for young boys to think of things as beautiful, but he was not like the other young boys his age.

At the end of the short presentation, Zechs found himself walking towards the young cadet. Before he reached her, she suddenly sensed his presence and turned towards him. They locked eyes. In that moment he almost stopped, but his feet wouldn't let him. He found himself reaching his hand out to her.

"Hello. My name is Zechs Merquise."

She paused for a moment. Her first thought was that, even as young as he was, he was very striking. She was immediately drawn to him as she reached for his hand.

"Hi. My name is Lucrezia Noin. But you can just call me Noin."

As they grasped hands, an energy passed through them that they would not understand until many years later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to my reviewers, I was inspired finish this next chapter earlier than intended. This chapter in "Noin-centric." Ultimately, she's my favorite character! I think she has some super bad-ass moments in the series and hope to portray that as the story goes on.**

**Lake Victoria Academy: Day 75 – AC 186**

Noin was generally a quiet person. Not because she was shy… She just didn't have the time or energy to talk about things unless they were meaningful to her. She'd rather observe; calculate the information, measure her opinions, and then store them in her mind for when she needed it next. She thought perhaps her quietness made the other cadets think of her as weak, but she felt strengthened by it. She didn't need anybody else to validate her ideas or abilities. However, she realized that if she wanted to be noticed, she'd have to step up at some point. But for now, she'd just observe. This was not the desired path she would have imagined for herself; a cadet training to be a Specials Officer. She was still a bit in shock over it, and that was also why she couldn't yet be noticed. But it was ultimately a competition after all, and she planned on being at the top at the end. She made a promise to herself and to her mother…

This approach of hers also caused her to have absolutely no friends. Once classes were over, Noin was the first to leave as most of the other cadets left chatting and arguing about what they had learned and figuring out evening plans. She did not want to get involved and nobody really cared enough to stop her. Besides, she was the only female in her age group and one of three female cadets in the whole Academy. There were other females her age, but they were training as field nurses and Noin was not interested in dealing with them. Noin's evening plans were the same every night: she ate dinner in the cafeteria, studied in her room, and then went to bed. Zechs was the only other cadet she noticed that had a similar routine. On occasion he would surprise her and sit quietly with her during lunch, but most of the time he disappeared. She supposed this was enough to consider a friendship but that was doubtful. However, Noin had a great desire to ask him about his life, but something held her back. She thought it strange that he was the one who introduced himself to her first and then only utter a few words to her here and there.

On one particular day in her third month at the academy, Noin became very frustrated. The cadets were being tested in stamina and were forced to run around the complex until their legs collapsed beneath them. Noin started the course fully intending to collapse purposely after about half of the cadets had also done so, but unfortunately she had put herself on automatic and ended up being one of the last two still running. Apparently, whoever she was running with did not appreciate the fact that the only female in the group might beat him. So, in one of the turns, he knocked her over and she fell flat on her back.

As she lay in the dirt, she could hear the cheering of the other cadets as the mystery cadet finished. She heard him telling their instructor that she had tripped over her own feet, but no one seemed to care. She was so tired that while she wanted to slam her fists into the dirt, she could only be internally frustrated and felt fire in her chest. She might have to step up sooner than she wanted. But the fire suddenly diminished as a shadow crossed over her. Zechs came into view.

"Where did you come from?" she inquired. He had disappeared before the race started.

"Are you okay, Noin?" he asked back. She thought she heard a hint of concern in his voice.

"Yeah… Except for the fact that I cannot move." She slightly laughed as she said this, though. She should have felt embarrassed but wasn't.

"Come on, everyone is leaving." Zechs held out his hand to her and she grasped it. Every muscle in her body ached but she managed to stand with his help. She looked at him for a moment and a calmness fell over her. How could one person make her feel better?

"Thanks. I guess I'll see you later." Assuming Zechs would disappear again as it was getting close to dinner, she started walking away.

"Noin, wait. Join me for dinner?" Noin looked at him incredulously, but then decided that if she questioned him he may change his mind.

"Sure."

They talked the whole way to the cafeteria and throughout dinner. The conversation was nothing of importance, but this time it didn't matter to Noin. She was just glad to have a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 79 – AC 186**

Lucrezia Noin was wrong. She _had_ been noticed.

Specials Commander Treize Kushrenada had been keeping his eye on her. Her scores during the placement testing three months prior to her arrival at the academy were outstanding and only one other cadet rivaled her: Zechs Merquise. So it was that Treize had a great interest in both cadets. He did not show it, of course, during any training sessions he had with them. He generally favored treating everyone the same, but these two were special. And now was the time he felt he could set them apart.

"Cadet Lucrezia Noin, please make your way to Commander Treize's office."

Noin was enjoying one of her favorite books, _Le Petit Prince_, while eating her lunch in the cafeteria when she was interrupted by one of the older cadets. She stared at him for a moment, trying to think of a good reason as to why the Commander had summoned her when the cadet turn and walked away. She stood up and gathered her things quickly as a bout of nervousness exploded within her.

Trying not to dwell on all the thoughts coursing through her mind, she made her way towards the Commander's office. As she approached, she noticed Zechs was waiting outside his door.

"Zechs, what's going on?" she inquired, hoping he would have some information to quell the nervousness that would not go away.

"I believe we are going into battle." Zechs' face was emotionless. For a moment she felt strangely calm. In fact, she almost laughed out loud. This could not possibly be true; they barely had experience with a real mobile suit. But before she could respond, the Commander's door opened and three older cadets walked out, chatting excitedly.

"Zechs Merquise, Lucrezia Noin… Please come in." A calm and friendly voice drifted from within. Noin took in a deep breath and followed Zechs into the office.

Treize Kushrenada looked very regal even just sitting at a desk. At fifteen years old, Treize was obviously quite accomplished being that he had been appointed as Commander of the Specials so young. He intimidated Noin. Zechs could care less.

As they entered his office, Treize eyed them carefully. "You two have been superior students since you started such a short time ago. I have been keeping my eye on you… And that is why I have summoned you here today. I have been given an assignment and I'm bringing you along with me to Mogadishu. I am testing your skills in real battle."

Zechs nodded curtly. While he had been waiting for this day, he did not think it would have come so soon. He shifted his eyes toward Noin. She tried her best to hide her feelings, but he could tell she was in shock.

"Cadet Merquise, you will lead the troops with me." Treize stared intently at Zechs as he said this. The boy who showed no emotion had a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Cadet Noin, you will provide backup with the three other cadets you saw leaving this office. I expect a quick and efficient victory. We will meet again tomorrow to go over the details. You are dismissed."

* * *

During their flight to Mogadishu, Zechs and Noin sat quietly next to each other while the three older cadets chatted about their upcoming mission, making grand claims about how many enemies they would destroy and how quickly they would do so. Because of that, Zechs was the only one that noticed Noin's annoying nervous tick. Her left leg would not stop shaking. Normally, Zechs would be able to ignore it, but Noin was making him nervous.

"Noin," he said quietly. She was sitting to his right; eyes focused on the floor in front of her, arms bracing herself at her sides. She didn't respond.

"Noin." This time he said it a little louder. She turned to look at him. "Noin you have to relax. Focus only on your objective." Her leg continued to shake. Without thinking, Zechs gently placed his right hand on top of her left. In that split second of contact, Noin felt a myriad of emotions and she took a sharp intake of breath. But suddenly they merged into a feeling of calmness that settled in her core. Her leg stopped shaking.

For Zechs, that momentary contact between them caused the opposite reaction. His calmness turned into something else that he did not understand. He felt as if his insides were tumbling around. Zechs quickly removed his hand from hers and crossed his arms. Whatever it was, he could not let it distract him. Clearly this was an important mission in more ways than one for both of them. They had to be perfect. Yes, they were trained. Yes, they were capable of a solid victory. They had proven that in their training, but it had been in simulators and their time spent in an actual mobile suit was limited. There was no perfect replacement of actual battle.

But first things first. He needed to focus on his next objective, which was to get the idiots across from him to stop talking.

"As I recall, Commander Treize is looking for a flawless victory with no casualties. It's pointless to daydream about how many enemies you will destroy. In fact, I highly doubt you will even encounter any. I plan on disabling them myself before you even have a chance."

That certainly quieted the trio but there were definitely daggers in their eyes. Before any of them could respond, Commander Treize's voice filled the plane.

"Cadets, prepare your mobile suits for battle."

* * *

The Battle of Mogadishu was over quickly. So quickly in fact, that neither Zechs nor Noin had time to truly understand what they had gone through until afterwards.

And their reactions were quite emotional.

Zechs and Treize stood next to each other on the ground in front of their mobile suits, quietly reflecting on the battle. It was Treize that spoke first.

"I'm impressed, Cadet Merquise. You fought as if you'd been doing this your whole life."

Zechs didn't respond at first. He was deeply conflicted. Part of him wondered if he did the right thing in joining the Specials. This was a thought he rarely questioned, but today was a different day. A day in which he made progress towards his ultimate goal, but somehow he was not satisfied.

"I guess this is what I'm meant to do." Zechs said this in response to Treize, but also to himself. He had to push away any doubts.

"Are you sure about that, Milliardo?"

A slow panic crept through his body. He had not been called by that name in four years. It was true that he had known Treize as a young child, before the fall of his homeland. Obviously it was useless to think he would not be recognized by someone. In fact, maybe he had hoped someone would know so he would not feel so alone. Maybe that was why he was drawn to Treize and the Specials…

"I do not forget a face. Please don't worry. It does not benefit me to reveal who you truly are." And with that, Treize ended the conversation. The rest of the cadets landed and exited their mobile suits.

But the panic Zechs felt did not yet go away. He focused on Noin as she walked towards them. She had tears in her eyes.

"Noin, are you okay?"

As Noin approached, the other cadets snickered behind her. In frustration, she wiped her tears away and replied firmly, "Yes, I'm fine. I just… I just hate war!"

During the battle, Noin felt nothing and focused on her objective like Zechs told her to. But after the fighting had ceased, all she felt was dismay. It was clear she had a talent for battle, but something inside of her was still conflicted.

As the sun set, they made their way back to the transport. During the short flight back to the Lake Victoria Base, no one spoke a word. Even for the three other cadets, the battle had taken a great toll on them. No one felt the need to boast anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, so sorry for the delay in the story! It was a busy summer and has been a busy fall so far! This next chapter is inspired, if you will, by their early years portrayed in Frozen Teardrop. Thanks go to the people that have translated Frozen Teardrop! I will try to update more often!**

**I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters.**

**Day 180 – AC 186**

After the mission at Mogadishu, things were different for Zechs and Noin. They would wake up knowing only that their day would be long, meals quick, and sleep lacking. What had started as a consistent, school-like schedule turned into what seemed like organized chaos. On top of normal subjects, they were thrown into more intense mobile suit training, target practice with guns, fencing, physical combat, engineering, tactical strategy training… At first it took an emotional toll on Noin. She was so overwhelmed that couldn't keep her emotions consistent. Some days she felt incredibly frustrated and other days she would feel nothing. Some days she was constantly on the verge of tears and other days all she wanted to do was destroy something.

Zechs was the only one to notice her constant mood changes, however. Despite it all, she was incredibly good at keeping things internal, but he could see it in her eyes.

But all Zechs had to do was look at Noin, and she knew what he was trying to tell her.

Focus only on your objective.

Eventually it worked. In fact, Noin's score soared to the top, just above Zech's score. This didn't bother Zechs, in fact he was impressed. But it certainly surprised Noin.

"I've been hearing whispers, Noin. I think we have another mission coming our way." Zechs had just joined her in a quiet corner of the library. Noin looked up from her book and studied Zechs' expression for a moment. He almost looked concerned.

"Where are we going this time?" she asked calmly, bringing her gaze back to her book.

"Space."

* * *

They arrived on the L-1 colony, near the moon, three days later. For Noin, it was an exhilarating trip. For a few hours, she forgot about training and fighting. She could just enjoy something. For Zechs, it felt uneasy. Not because he was also experiencing space for the first time, but because of a he wasn't sure he'd make it back to Earth.

They spent their first few days getting used to space and going over plans for the upcoming battle that was to quell a revolt involving a manufacturing plant on the moon. Noin was disappointed to find out that she would be battling separately from Zechs. They had both been appointed to lead separate groups.

On the day before the battle, Zechs and Noin separated themselves from Commander Treize and the other cadets and found a café at the spaceport in which they could see space from the windows.

"Isn't space beautiful, Zechs?" Noin gazed out in wonder while sipping a hot cup of coffee. Zechs sat across from her, but insisted on silently staring into his own cup.

"I would think even you, Zechs Merquise, would be impressed by this view. You can see so many stars and constellations, way better than on Earth." Zechs continued to be silent and Noin continued to stare out the window in protest.

"I'm keeping my focus on the upcoming battle; you should do the same, Lucrezia Noin," Zechs finally replied. Noin sighed and rolled her eyes at the sound of her first name.

"I wish you could see beyond the battle. See what's really important. What your future might hold once you quit being a soldier."

"There is no future for me after this, Noin."

His comment made Noin's stomach turn a bit. While she understood the importance of focusing on being a soldier, as it was her job, she also felt it important to have a plan for the future. To have a hope that one day she would be able to be a normal person and live a normal life.

She very much wished that for Zechs too.

That was the last conversation they had before the battle.


End file.
